Ruth Langsford ‘orchestrated’ break up with livid Eamonn Holmes

Ruth Langsford ‘orchestrated’ her split with Eamonn Holmes who is devastated and refused to sign off on the joint statement announcing the end of their near 30-year relationship, it can be revealed.

TV’s ‘golden couple’ have split after 14 years of marriage and 27 years together, declaring publicly they are to divorce after work commitments ‘took their marriage in different directions’. 

Officially the couple said over the weekend said they are ‘determined to stay friends and keep things amicable’.

But from being a joint effort – the statement citing their work commitments taking their marriage ‘in different directions’ was in fact arranged by Ruth, with Eamonn, 64, refusing to play a part in its release.

Sources told Mail+ that Eamonn is devastated about the split and that the break-up has ‘very much been orchestrated by Ruth’. 

Eamonn reportedly told friends that he ‘didn’t want to get involved’ and that ‘Ruth can do what she wants but keep me out of it’.

As millions digest the sad news about their plans to divorce, Ruth spent her bank holiday weekend with loved ones.

The pair have been living together until recently at their £3.2 million home in Weybridge, Surrey. Ruth took the dog for a walk in between the rain showers yesterday and spent time with her mother Joan.

She said on Instagram: ‘Enjoying the little bit of sunshine we got today’.

Eamonn meanwhile shared his own weekend Instagram post as he relished in Manchester United’s shock FA Cup final win over Manchester City, sharing an illustration of himself with Sir Alex Ferguson.

The caption said: ‘My God , what a Cup Final , what a result! European football next season too . The Magic of The Cup. Congratulations to the whole squad.’

Eamonn, who is a trustee of Manchester United Foundation, saw his post flooded with comments from concerned fans, asking him about his split from Ruth. 

The former This Morning hosts, both 64, revealed they had split on Saturday after work commitments ‘took their marriage in different directions’. 

A representative said: ‘Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes have confirmed their marriage is over and they are in the process of divorcing.’ 

The couple tied the knot in 2010 after dating for 13 years – and say that despite their separation, they are ‘determined to stay friends’.

They are parents to son Jack, 22, while Eamonn also has sons Declan, 35, Niall, 31, and daughter Rebecca, 33, from his previous marriage. 

Insiders claimed on Sunday that the pair have been living separate lives for two years, with their relationship detoriating after they left This Morning in 2021.

Eamonn has had a tough two years, losing the ITV show, as well as battling health conditions and grieving the death of his mother. The presenter is said to have been keen to move home to Belfast, but Ruth was adamant they stay put at their Surrey home.

A source told The Sun on Sunday night: ‘Eamonn and Ruth’s relationship changed when they left This Morning. They started moving in different directions in their careers and their priorities started to change.’

‘Eamonn was desperate to return to Belfast, which he thinks of as home, but Ruth would never move. It became a bone of contention.

‘As her ITV career continued, Eamonn went down another path and they became ships in the night. For the past two years they had led separate lives, professionally and personally.’

Eamonn spoke about his desire to return to Belfast last year, revealing how his wife was always ‘very irritated’ when he called it home. 

He said last year, when asked where he thinks of as home: ‘Well, it’s not Surrey. When people ask me what I’m doing at the weekend, I tell them I’m going home.

‘Then my wife gets very irritated by this. She says, ‘This is your home. And I say, ‘No Ruth, this is where I work. This is where I have to be, but home…’

Eamonn was forced to sell his beloved house in east Belfast last year to pay off a huge bill after a £250,000 tax battle with HMRC.

The TV presenter admitted in January that he felt ‘bitter’ about having to sell his house after losing two appeals against HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) which set him back ‘hundreds of thousands of pounds in legal fees’.

Ruth is said to have been the one to instigate the split, with friends saying that while she cares for her husband and has helped him through his recent health battles, she ‘knows they can’t be together.’

The Sun have reported that Ruth has been preparing for the split for over a year, with paperwork from her TV company, Hey Ho Ltd, revealing she paid herself a dividend of £2.2million last year, compared to the £85,000 she claimed the year before. 

The couple were last seen together at the Tric Awards in 2022.

They arrived together and smiled on the red carpet at the event in London but were seen leaving separately.

In unearthed photos of the event, Loose Women star Ruth was seen chatting on the phone as she left Grosvenor House Hotel after the bash.

Eamonn appeared to have left by the back door before walking down the street on his own while clutching his News Presenter award after stopping to chat to his GB News colleague Bev Turner.

Yesterday it emerged Eamonn and Ruth’s marriage had been ‘over for a year’, with friends saying the couple were ‘determined to keep it a secret’ as they struggled to save their 27-year relationship.

So keen they were to avoid it becoming public, both Ruth and Eamonn denied there were any problems when asked in recent months.

It has been reported that Eamonn will address the split on his show on GB News on Monday, after they confirmed the end of their marriage.

The presenter hosts a breakfast show with Isabel Webster, which sees them talk through the big news stories of the world.

Speaking to The Sun, a source said: ‘Eamonn is always frank on camera and knows it will be odd for him to discuss the day’s news without mentioning his split so he’ll say a few words.

‘He is putting on a brave face and will be the true professional he always is. Focusing on work will be a welcome distraction.’

It would mark the first time either Ruth or Eamonn have spoken about the split since their initial announcement, but sources close to the pair say that a ‘statement is being prepared by Ruth’s representatives‘, to share the news with their followers.

The TV couple, who friends say were ‘as close to Richard Madeley and Judy Finnegan as you could get’, have sparked rumours over the last few months as neither appeared on the other’s Instagram posts.

The famous couple first met in through a mutual friend, GMTV star Sally Meen, while Eamonn was also on the show in 1997.

Two years later, he had split from his first wife Gabrielle Holmes, the mother of his three eldest children. 

And despite Ruth and Eamonn feeling an instant connection, he ensured it was the nation’s best-kept secret, as he did not publicly confess his love for Ruth for two years. 

Eamonn even refused to hold her hand in public or attend events together for the first few years of their relationship in a bid to stay respectful to his ex of nearly 20 years. 

But after just a year of having their relationship out in the open, they welcomed their son Jack in 2002. 

But now, more than 20 years later as the beloved pair have split, one friend told MailOnline: ‘Ruth and her team have been telling their friends to look out for the comments, which they are planning to put on social media.

‘It’s a very sorry tale. They are both so loved by the British public, they won over so many people on This Morning which they hosted for more than a decade.’

The couple, who live in Surrey, have prompted many rumours throughout the showbusiness industry in recent months by not appearing together on their individual Instagram accounts.

Eamonn and Ruth tied the knot in 2010 after 13 years together, in a lavish ceremony at the grand 19th century Hampshire hotel, The Elvetham.

Their split comes just days after Ruth revealed she fears Eamonn ‘might never be 100 per cent right’ after undergoing back surgery due to suffering chronic back pain for almost two years.

The GB News breakfast presenter is still recovering from the surgery and an injury to his shoulder, which saw him take four months off work at the end of last year.

He has ongoing daily physio sessions and either uses a cane or wheelchair to get about, with the support of his estranged wife Ruth. 

Speaking to Woman’s Weekly, Ruth said: ‘I don’t know how much Eamonn’s mobility will improve. We live in hope.

‘He does the physio, but there might have to be some acceptance that this might never be 100% right. With any care situation – and there are millions of carers in this country – it isn’t always easy. It’s testing but we manage as a family.’

Ruth added: ‘I look at Eamonn, who’s had his health and back problems, and it makes you realise how important your health is.’

Eamonn and Ruth hosted This Morning together for 14 years, and were a fixture on the show both on Fridays and during the school holidays.

However, in 2020 the pair were dropped from their Friday slot and replaced by Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary.

A source close to the pair said at the time they were ‘more upset than angry’ at being ousted from the show.

Since then, Eamonn has been a presenter on GB News’ Breakfast Show, while Ruth has been a regular panellist and anchor on Loose Women since 1999. 

Their romance has sparked concern in recent weeks as Ruth admitted that the last two years have been hard on her relationship after Eamonn suffered from complex health issues.